A/N: Many stories have been written about how Brian and Justin might start a family. My story takes place after they get married and are living in Britin. (This could be a sequel to my story "A Love That Never Dies".)
Queer As Folk is owned by Cowlip and Showtime.
It's a summer weekend and Britin is busier than usual. Lindsay and Mel were over Thursday and dropped off Gus and Jenny to visit their dads. Michael and Ben have been over for a couple of days, playing with both of the kids. On Saturday evening, Justin and Brian are having a small dinner party. Daphne and her new husband, John Marin, are visiting. Daphne also brought a friend of her and Justin's from high school, September. Daphne's always been close with her. In fact, she's the friend that Daphne told about her 'first time' that Justin provided for her. September has always remained a good friend to her high school classmates.
After a lavish dinner provided by Brian and Justin's cook, the group adjourns to the sitting room with the big fireplace. Daphne and John are newly married and bubble with excitement about their new life together. They discuss starting a family soon.
After a while, it's evident that Jenny and Gus are getting tired, so Michael, Brian and Justin bring the kids up to bed. Gus has his own room, lovingly decorated by Justin weeks earlier. Jenny will stay in a crib in the guest room with Michael and Ben.
Brian tends to Gus and goes through the nighttime routine with his son. They both brush their teeth. They both put on pajamas. Brian doesn't usually wear anything to bed, but he'll put on a pair of sleep pants and a t-shirt in order to get his son to do the same. He figures that doing the routine with Gus is a good way of encouraging him and makes the kid feel like a participant, not just someone taking orders. Brian spent a lot of his childhood taking orders from his less-than-caring parents. He has vowed that his own child will not experience the feelings that he felt in that environment. He loves his son very much.
As Michael is getting Jenny dressed for bed, Justin looks down the hallway watching Brian and Gus. A smile crosses his lips as he watches his husband lovingly care for Gus. At one point Gus sees Justin and runs to him to give him a goodnight hug and kiss. The contact warms Justin's heart as Brian looks on smiling. Gus returns to his father and they walk hand-in-hand to Gus's room.
After Jenny gets her pajamas on, she tells her daddy that she wants Uncle Justin to read her a story. Justin grins and agrees. Jenny loves her father, Michael, but in the last two days she's gotten into the habit of having Justin read to her before bedtime. As Justin sits in the reading chair, Michael hands Jenny over to him. She snuggles into Justin's lap as he pulls "Mr. Brown Can Moo" from the shelf. Michael kisses her goodnight and rejoins the dinner party downstairs. He knows that Justin will get her into her crib after the story.
Brian has tucked Gus into bed. The day's events were a lot for him to take and he falls asleep almost right away. Brian walks softly to the guest room to watch Justin finish his story with Jenny. As Justin is carrying the little girl to bed, they stop by Uncle Brian so he can give her a kiss. After a kiss from Uncle Justin and some reassurances, she begins to drift off to sleep.
Justin and Brian exit the guest room and have a hushed conversation in the hall. Justin asks, "Gus is asleep?"
"Out like a light. Something about a day of horseback riding, painting and a rather disastrous tennis lesson seems to have worn him out." They both chuckle softly, remembering the days' events.
Justin says, "Jenny had to have Uncle Justin read to her again."
"I see that."
"I adore her. I just wish…"
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Justin, tell me what's on your mind."
"Well, you have Gus and Michael has Jenny. The kids are great and I love having them here. I just wish I had a child of my own; one that was biologically mine. But, I know that's probably out of the question, so…" He starts to walk away when Brian touches his arm to stop him.
"Why is that out of the question?"
"Well, I assume that you don't want any kids of our own."
"Never assume anything with me. You know better than that. I'm fucking unbelievable sometimes, remember?"
Justin smiles, then pauses. He looks hopefully into his husband's eyes. "Do you mean that you'd actually consider having one of our own? … One that I would be the father of?"
"I'd consider it, once we're sure how it would work out with our lives the way we are now."
"We're both pretty busy with our careers…." Justin trails off. He's thinking they might be too busy for a child.
"Well, let's think about it. I'd probably be the breadwinning 'dad' going off to work most mornings. You're doing your paintings in the studio here. You could probably watch a baby and still get some art done here and there. It might mean that, at least for the first 2 or 3 years, you wouldn't be as prolific as you have been. But, you could probably still produce enough to keep your agent happy."
"Yes. I could probably do that." Justin responds as he follows Brian's thinking.
"So, it doesn't seem out of the question to me."
"What about when I have to go to New York for a week at a time with a gallery installation or something? Like the one I've got planned for later this month. What happens to the baby then?"
"Well, then I'd have to take time off to watch the rug rat myself."
"You'd do that?"
"Sure. Your trips are usually planned weeks ahead of time; I'll just keep my work calendar open the time that you're going to be away. And, if something comes up at Kinnetik, I'm sure we could find a nanny or babysitter, whatever, to watch our child while we're both working. But, I'd want that to be the exception, not the rule. And there's always your mom and your sister."
Justin is scanning Brian's face now, trying to read it for sincerity. He wants to be sure he's hearing his husband correctly. "Are you saying that we could have a child of our own?"
Brian puts his arms around his young husband's waist. "I would love to see some blond, blue-eyed toddler running around this house. I would love it if you could have the experience of being a father."
"Oh, my God! Brian!" Justin hugs his husband, kisses him and then returns to the hug. "That would be so amazing. I love you."
"'Love you, too."
"Now it's just a matter of who we can get to be the mom. We'd probably have to pay someone to be our surrogate."
"As many times as I've tried to get you pregnant, it hasn't worked. So, yeah, a surrogate." Brian smiles.
Justin blushes a little and smiles. "I'm sure we'll get someone. It might cost considerable dough."
Brian reassures his husband, "Price is no object. If this is what you really want."
"Oh, yes, Brian. I would love nothing more than the two of us becoming a family of three."
"A family…." Brian says softly.
"And a better family than you ever experienced. And we'll be better dads than either of ours were."
"You got that right."
"Oh, my gosh. You make me so happy, Brian." They kiss and hug.
"Not a word to anyone yet. OK, Sunshine?"
"You got it." They turn to go back downstairs.
As they rejoin their friends, Daphne and September are talking about going to graduate school. Ben is, of course, encouraging them. Michael is feeling left out with all of these higher educated types chatting. He approaches Justin. "Did Jenny go down OK?"
"Yes, Michael. She was very good."
"Thanks for taking care of her. You're great with her."
"She's a doll." Justin says. He's a little emotional after the conversation with Brian just earlier.
Michael picks up on Justin's emotional state, "You OK?"
Justin uses the heel of his hand to brush away a tear. "Damn allergies. I'm fine."
Michael is not buying it. "Uh huh. OK." He smiles at Justin and they pat each other on the back.
After another hour or so of conversation, Michael and Ben excuse themselves and go upstairs to bed. Daphne and John take a moonlit walk around the pool. September is helping Justin pick up wine glasses and they join Brian in the kitchen.
"So, when do you start graduate school?" Justin asks.
She says, "Well, I wanted to do it this year, but I don't have the funds. I'll have to take a year off and earn some money to pay for school."
"How much do you need?"
"About $20,000, that's all." She quips sarcastically. "I'd do anything, but I don't even have any prospects lined up."
Brian is listening to the conversation. He asks, "Anything?"
September smiles wryly, "Coming from you that sounds dirty." His reputation precedes him.
He chuckles, and then says, "Well, what we have to ask isn't dirty, really." He looks brightly at Justin, who picks up on Brian's idea. September as the surrogate. They don't even speak; they know what each other is thinking.
Justin asks her, "Have you ever thought about having a kid?"
She says, "Well, that'd be a bad idea for me right now, with wanting to start graduate school, not to mention having no partner, and not for lack of trying, I might add."
"What about being a surrogate mom to raise money for school?"
"A surrogate?"
Justin takes a deep breath, "Brian and I would like to have a child. One of our own. I'd be the father. We'd need a surrogate to be the mother. Would you be interested? You could get enough money for college."
Brian walks up to Justin and puts his arm around his shoulder and kisses his cheek.
September stares at the two. "You'd be willing to pay me that much to be a surrogate for you?"
Brian says, "And we'd cover any doctor's bills and hospital expenses."
"You must really want a child."
Justin confirms, "More than anything."
She considers the offer. She pauses, looking at the loving husbands. She looks around the spacious house and back at them. "Let me talk to Daphne about it. But, I might consider it."
"Well, think about it." Justin says.
September and Justin give each other a hug just as Daphne and John enter the room. Brian asks John if he'll join him outside for a cigarette. He agrees and they step out onto the patio outside the kitchen.
September tells Daphne of Justin and Brian's request, asking her opinion. Daphne is excited for Justin, and not surprised that Brian has agreed to a child. She knows that Brian would do anything for Justin and it warms her heart. The three of them discuss pros and cons. Daphne convinces September that it might be the best, or possibly only, way to pay for school. They also agree that it would be great if they were both pregnant at about the same time and could share the experience. It might make babysitting a little easier, too.
As Brian re-enters the kitchen, he hears September say, "OK."
Brian says, "OK?"
She smiles and says, "I'll carry your baby."
Justin hugs her. "Oh, September, that's wonderful!"
Brian puts his arm around her and kisses Justin. Daphne pulls her husband aside and clues him in on the conversation. They are happy for their friends.
September asks, "How would I be involved in the child's life? I mean, I hadn't thought about having kids really, until now. Would I be allowed to visit?"
"Yes. We'd have an agreement where you can be in his or her life. They'd know that you're their birth mother and you'd see them some evenings and some weekends, that kind of thing. As involved as you'd like to be." Justin says.
"Now, Daphne, you have to get pregnant, too." September says.
Brian observes, "Seems like we'll be having our own little population explosion. I never thought I'd be a breeder." He shudders slightly.
"You were the day I met you, when Gus was born. No turning back now." Justin says with a smile.
"Best day of my life, for two reasons." Brian pulls Justin to him and kisses him.
A couple of weeks later, September returns to Britin so that she can conceive the baby. She's done the calculations and she's ovulating. Justin has been 'saving up' for maximum sperm count. They'd discussed how to go about the actual conception. She requested that, for the first attempt anyway, they do it 'the old fashioned way'. She remembers that Daphne said that Justin was a kind lover. Besides, September feels that a more loving, personal approach is a better way to bring a baby into the world, as opposed to the syringe/turkey baster method. Justin has trepidations about it, obviously. He has to get Brian's consent, of course. Brian feels that whatever way she feels is best is probably a good idea.
Justin and September excuse themselves to a guest room. They begin the process, but Justin has some performance issues. (After all, women don't turn him on.) He calls Brian into the room and he does various things to encourage Justin to a successful conclusion. September is glad that Brian was called in for two reasons. One, he's hot and easy to look at. Two, he could be part of the process. This will be his child, too, after all.
The first attempts at making a baby don't work, so they repeat the next month. This time there is success and everyone is thrilled that there is a new baby in their future. Justin and Brian tell Jennifer and Molly. Jennifer cries, never expecting (for the last few years anyway) that Justin would be able to provide her with a grandchild. It warms her heart when Brian glowingly talks about the baby and their plans. How much he has changed.
Daphne gets pregnant within a month of her friend September. John and Daphne look forward to the baby and happily prepare a nursery in their house.
The pregnancy goes well. Justin attends Lamaze classes with September. They just let everyone think they are a couple as it is much easier than explaining the actual situation. The OB/Gyn knows the real deal, though, and both Brian and Justin are present for the ultrasound visits. They find out during one ultrasound that the baby is boy. "Gus's little buddy." Brian calls him.
Justin decorates the room next to the master bedroom with a superheroes theme. All the greats are on posters on the walls: Superman, Spiderman, Batman, the X-Men, the Flash, the Green Lantern, and, of course, Rage. Michael gives them some comic books to frame, also. He is very happy for Justin and still blown away that Brian wants the new baby so much. Brian insists it's just to "piss off the heterosexuals," but Michael can see there is much more to it than that.
After the 9 month point, September's doctor tells her that the baby is big enough and strong enough to be born. Since labor doesn't start naturally, the doctor decides to induce labor. It's much more natural than a c-section, plus a c-section can be more painful and definitely has a much longer healing process than vaginal birth. It takes about 8 hours for the oxytocin to take its full effect and her water to break. In another hour she's fully dilated and ready to give birth. Justin and Brian are in the delivery room. Justin is holding onto one of September's hands and Brian is holding the other. Within minutes the contractions are at their strongest, the doctor and hospital staff is there and she can push. Brian and Justin help by supporting her back. The doctor is very attentive. They all wait for this much loved boy to join the world. A minute later the baby boy is completely out and crying healthily. As the doctor stitches up the episiotomy and the nurses attend to, clean and swaddle the baby, the new parents marvel at the big, healthy boy. He weighs 8½ pounds and is 20" long. He has very dark gray-blue eyes and wisps of brown hair.
Justin holds him first and shows him to September, who places a kiss on the baby's forehead. He is returned to the hospital's care as the new mom and dads return to the regular room. Jennifer and Michael are there with balloons and flowers. A much–pregnant Daphne enters next with John. The nurse enters with the new baby and he is passed around amongst Jennifer, Michael and Daphne.
Justin looks over at Brian, who is sitting in a chair over to one side. He's snapped a few photos, but, for the most part sits there silently. Justin approaches him, "Are you OK?" He's concerned that his husband is having some regrets.
"I'm fine."
Justin retrieves the baby from Daphne and brings him to Brian and places him in his arms. "May I present to you my son…our son."
"Our son." Brian says in a whisper. He looks reverently and lovingly at the squirming baby. He kisses him on the forehead. The babies' flailing hand hits Brian in the nose, which makes Brian chuckle. Then he looks up at Justin and sees the joy in his husband's face. "Are we going to use the name we'd talked about?"
"I think so. It looks like it suits him." Justin says. Brian nods and smiles. They look at September and she nods, too. She knows about the name they'd discussed.
Jennifer says, "What name is that?"
Michael is dying to know the secret, too, "What are you going to call him?"
"Victor. After Uncle Vic. Victor Taylor Kinney."
Michael starts to tear up. "That's so great! Oh, my God. Wait until I tell Ma. She'll be thrilled."
Brian continues to hold little Vic as Justin gets the camera and takes photos. Michael takes over camera duty and gets photos of all combinations of dads and moms in the room.
As September holds the baby, Justin approaches Brian and they embrace. "I'm so happy, Brian. He's everything I'd ever dreamed of in a child."
"He's beautiful, just like his father. He has your eyes and nose. I'm happy for you… for us."
"I thought earlier, when you were sitting there that you were having second thoughts."
Brian shakes his head. "I was overcome by the whole thing. I just needed to sit and take it all in." He pauses. "I never felt wanted in my home growing up. But I look at this room full of people who already love him and I know his life will have a much happier start than mine."
Justin kisses him and hugs him.
Brian looks into his husband's misty blue eyes, "Any happiness I've had in my life is because of you, Justin. I love you."
"I love you too, Brian."